Although water skiing has long been a popular sport, competition and show skiing have rapidly increased in popularity in recent years. Competition water skiing generally requires the use of a specially designed boat which is more streamlined and has a lower profile in the water than traditional recreational boats. Competition ski boats are provided with a rod or ski pylon which ordinarily is affixed to the floor in approximately the center of the boat. The tow ropes which are used to pull the skiers are attached to the pylon to allow the ropes a full range of motion around the boat during skiing maneuvers. Since the safety of the skiers and the complexity of the skiing maneuvers requires completely unhampered movement of the tow ropes in all directions, the outside surfaces of competition ski boats are not generally provided with cleats, handrails or other hardware which could cause the ropes to snag while towing a skier. However, this lack of hardware makes it difficult to secure a fender or buoy to the boat in such a manner that the sides of the boat are protected from damage which can readily occur when parking the boat beside a dock, pier or along side another boat.
Prior to the present invention, the most common method of protecting a competition ski boat during docking was to suspend life jackets over the side of the boat as it approached a dock or another boat. This method has the obvious disadvantages of inflicting undue wear and tear on the life jackets and imperiling the safety of the passengers. Moreover, it is difficult to secure the life jackets to the side of the boat in a position which will protect the boat so that the operator can tend to other functions of the docking operation.
Inflated vinyl or polyvinyl cylindrical-shaped boat fenders or buoys are also used to absorb shock and protect all types of recreational boats during docking. However, these fenders are generally secured to the boat by a rope which is looped through eyes or grommets which are often provided in the ends of the fender. The rope is attached to a handrail, cleat, or other hardware on the side of the boat and the fender is allowed to hang over the side of the boat. This method of attaching the fenders is inadequate for most recreational boats because the fenders do not rest in a position which is perpendicular to the water and the fenders tend to slide back an forth along the edge and side of the boat, which significantly reduces the degree of protection afforded by the fenders. As with the life jackets, it is usually necessary for the operator or another passenger to manually retain the fender in a proper position to protect the boat when pulling along side a dock or another boat. Moreover, the lack of hardware on competition ski boats makes the use of such methods of attachment inconvenient.
Due to the significant costs involved in acquiring and maintaining a competition ski boat or other recreational water craft, a need continues to exist for a means to adequately absorb shock and protect boats from the potential of severe damage during docking without requiring the installation of hardware on the boat which hinders the free movement of the tow ropes when the boat is pulling a skier.